Playing Hooky and Five Day Weekends

So Kim and I played hooky the other day. That was fun. (And no fear of a pink slip from the principal!)

Did I have other stuff that “needed” to be done? You betcha. But guess what — two days later and all of that stuff that “needed” to get done, got done. Plus, giving our brains some time off to “wander” led us to a handful of very good ideas that will benefit our business. And the best part of it all was that we got to enjoy an obscenely beautiful day by the lake.

Not everybody has that freedom to just skip work for the day. But get this: there are a ton of people who do have that freedom, they just don’t think they do. (Perhaps I am describing you? C’mon, be honest…)

Maybe a bigger problem people have is that they wouldn’t know what to do with a free day if they had one. Maybe that’s why according to Expedia.com’s 2006 International Vacation Deprivation survey, the average U.S. worker only uses 10 of their 14 vacation days a year.

The folks over at FiveDayWeekend.org (hat tip to Lindsey at Enjoy the Journey) are hoping to change that. They have put together a funny yet thought-provoking campaign aimed at reversing “the U.S. workweek so that Americans clock in for two good days of work, followed by five well-earned days off.” This from their About Us page:

The Five Day Weekend idea was born in Asheville, N.C., as a marketing initiative for the Convention and Visitors Bureau. But as it came together, this initiative became more of a public service campaign aimed at bringing attention to the worsening epidemic of overwork and encouraging U.S. workers to get out and enjoy life.

If it inspires you to come visit Asheville, great. If nothing else, we just hope it motivates you to use your vacation time and enjoy life a little more.

If you in any way feel stuck in a rut in your life, do yourself a favor and watch the first video on this page (right under “Living the Five Day Dream”). Campaign director Roy McCrerey shares his biggest mistake and the mental switch he made that led to way more success and enjoyment.

We all need to get better at learning how to just “be.” We all need to play more, and most of us want to play more, but some of us just need permission. So, wherever you are, if it’s a beautiful day, get out there and enjoy it.

Because let me ask you this: exactly how many beautiful days do you have left to appreciate?

Go ahead, play hooky. Trust me, the Principal is cool with it.

[tags]Five Day Weekend, Asheville, hooky, play, Roy McCrerey, vacation[/tags]